Soups are a fantastic way to dial down your diet after some rich holiday meals. They allow us to incorporate vegetables into our everyday routines in a sneaky and delightful way. This Moroccan Carrot Soup is one such stealthy meal. The carrots puree into a creamy dream, and the cumin and allspice give it a gentle Moroccan flavor that is sweet and savory. I used Chobani non-fat plain yogurt for the dollop on top. It gives the whole bowl an added richness and smoothness. Make this, freeze some of it for later. Eat it all week. Until Christmas. Or until I post the next soup recipe…
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Moroccan Carrot Soup
Description
This Moroccan Carrot Soup is a great healthy alternative to all the rich holiday meals we typically enjoy around this time of year. The carrots puree into a creamy dream, and the cumin and allspice give it a gentle Moroccan flavor that is sweet and savory. It is great for freezing too!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup chopped white onion
1 pound large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 22/3 cups)
2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred to loosen
Instructions
Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes.
Mix in the carrots.
Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.
At this point you can toast your real cumin seeds. I did not do any such thing. I used ground cumin. Please know, I have nothing against toasting real cumin seeds. I even believe Bon Appetit’s assertion that it’s surprisingly easy to do. I just didn’t feel like buying them when I had ground cumin in the pantry.
HOWEVER, you should know that you will get better flavor from real cumin seeds. BUT you can also warm ground cumin in a pan with a little olive oil and it will release a bit more of the flavor that’s been locked up in that plastic container at the back of your spice rack since heavens only knows when.
Stir cumin seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes; cool. Finely grind in spice mill.
Remove soup from heat. Puree in batches in blender until smooth. Return to same pan. Whisk in honey, lemon juice, and allspice. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle yogurt over; sprinkle generously with cumin.
